Seal-lock



R. M. SULLY.

(ModeL) SEAL LOOK.

' Patented May 24 dfb ulgy lock applied thereto.

EJNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT M. SULLY, OF PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA.

SEAL-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 363,775, dated May 24,1887. A pplieaiion filed March .22, 1887. Serial No. 231,961. (Model.l

To all whom it may concern.-

.Be it known that I, ROBERT M. SULLY, a citizen of the UnitedStatcs,residing at Petersburg, in the county of Dinwiddie and State ofVirginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Seal'Locks, ofwhich the following is a specification.

Ihe object of my present invention is to pro vide an improvedconstruction of seal-lock for the doors of railroad freight-cars,whereby the car-door can be readily and conveniently secured andthe'withdrawal of the bolt effectually prevented until after themutilation and removal of a seal connected with said bolt.

The object of my invention I accomplish in the manner and by the meanshereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to theaccompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, in which- Figure 1represents in side elevation a portion of a freight-car with my improvedseal- Fig. 2 is a perspective view of thelock unfastened. Fig. 3 is acentral vertical section showing the bolt with seal attached and lockedin position. Fig. 4 is a view of the seal.

Referring to the drawings, the letter A designates the door of afreight-car, and B a hasp attached thereto. On one side of the doorframeis secured a plate, 0, carrying a s1 aple, D, for engagement with thehasp B on the ear-door. Above the staple D, and in line therewith, is 9.lug, E, having a vertical perforation, a, through which is passedalockingbolt, F, which also passes through the staple and through avertical perforation, b, in a lug, G, located beneath the staple.

The upper end of the loekingbolt F has an enlarged head, 0, formed witha shouldertor shoulders, (I, resting on the upper surface of the lug Ewhen the bolt is lowered, and preventing it from falling entirelythrough the staple and adjacent lugs. This enlarged head 0 forms apivotal bearing for a hinged fasteningcap, H, which may be made toengage the lugE in any suitable or convenienumanner for locking the boltF in position after the seal has been attached, as hereinafterexplained. In the form of construction shown I prefer to flange the freeend of the hinged fasteningcap H on three sides, thereby formingin itsend a recess. 6, to engage and cover the upper front edge and a portionof the upper side edges of said lug in front of the lowered bolt. I alsoarrange in the hinged fasteningcap H a catch, f, to engage a :mortise,g, in the upper face of the lug E, and this catch may have a beveledface, as shown, and be provided with a spring, h, to facilitate itsentrance into and engagement in said mortise, though a spring is notnecessary.

The lower end of thelocking-bolt F is formed to present a hook, i, forengaging a perforation, It, in a seal, K, when the bolt F is lowcredthrough the lug G 5, and after the sealhas been attached and the boltraised the upper edge of the seal K will enter slits m m, formedvertically in each side of the lower perforated lug. By now throwing thefasteningcap H int-o locking engagement with the upper lug, E, the boltFwill be securely held in such manner that it cannot be" withdrawnwithout first mutilating and disengaging the seal.

The seal K preferably consists of a piece of thin sheet metal capable ofbeing broken or .torn under the application of a moderate force,

but at the same time sufficiently tough and durable to afford. adequatesupport and protection for a paper or card-board tag secured thereto bythe upper and lower folded-over edges of the metal. The perforation 7.for engaging thehook 13, is made through both the paper and metal; andalong the upper folded edge of the seal, in line with the perforation7.", is formed a'line of perforations, a, to facilitate the tearing ofthe seal when connected with the locked bolt. On the paper or tagportion of the seal will be inscribed the usual information as to thepoint of shipment, destination, character of freight, &c.

Instead of arranging a scab-K, in connection with the hooked end of a1ocking-bolt,as above described, I may pass an ordinary twistedlocking-wire, through a horizontal"perforation, 1, in the upper lug, E,and through a coineiding perforation, r, in the bolt F, and con .finethe ends of said wire by a lead seal, L,

adjacent to the lug. This method of sealing ICC brought over the stapleD, and when so raised the upward movement of the bolt is limited, andits disengagement from the lug E prevented by a stop, M, locatedadjacent to the upper end of the plate 0, as shown. When the bolt F islowered into place through the staple D andin front of the hasp B, itcan be readily secured either by a wire, 1), passed through theperforations t o and held by a lead seal, L, or a seal, K, can beengaged with the hook i and slitted lug G and the hinged cap H broughtinto locking engagement with the upperlug, E, to prevent the furtherdescent of the bolt.

'It will be seen that when seal, K, is attached to the hook z and drawnupinto the slits m m the bolt cannot be raised further to disengageitfrom the staple, because the upper edge of the seal bears against theupper ends of the slits m m and prevents movement of the bolt in thatdirection. If the fastening-cap H has not yet been applied, the bolt Fcan still be lowered, however, to allow the seal K to be removed, ifdesired, and the car-door opened before finally adj usting the seal; butafter the seal K has been placed on the hooked end of the bolt andengaged in the slits m m, if the 02113. H is brought down on the lug Eand engaged therewith, the bolt F can neither be raised nor lowered, andthe cap H being held securely by the catch f in the mortise g, the lockcan be unfastened only after breaking and mutilating the seal. It isalso apparent that when the parts are locked in the manner described thehook i and upper edge of the seal K are both inclosed in the lug G, sothat it will be impossible to remove the seal without mutilation.

It will be seen that in the construction and operation this seal-lock isan improvement on the seal-locks for which Letters Patent No.

341,779 and No. 341,780 were granted to me May 11, 1886; and I wouldhave it understood that I do not herein claim the construction set forthand claimed in said patents.

WVhat I claim as my invention is- 1. In a seal-lock for cars, thecombination of a perforated lug, a locking-bolt passed through said lug,and a fastening-cap hinged to the upper end of the bolt, and havingalocking engagement with the lug when the bolt is in locking engagementwith a connected seal, substantially as described.

2. In a seal-lock for cars, the combination of a perforated and mortisedlug, a staple, a perforated and slitted lug, alockingbolt passed throughsaid lugs and staple and having a hook at one end, a seal adapted toengage said hook and slitted lug, and a fastening-cap hinged to theother end of the boltand having a catch to engage the mortised lug,substan tially as described.

3. In a seal-lock for cars, the combination of the lug E, having aperforation, a, and a mortise, g, the bolt F, and the fasteningcap H,hinged to the head of said bolt and provided with recess 6 and catchsubstantially as described.

4. In a seal-loek for cars, the combination of the staple D, the lug E,having perforation d and mortise g,'the lug G, having perforation b andslits m m, the locking-bolt F, having hook z and shoulder d, and thefasteningcap H,hinged to the head of said bolt and provided with acatch, f, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

1%. M. SULLY.

